Literally.
One second, Izzy’s enticing aroma permeates the air; the next, it’s like it ceases to exist. There’s only one possible explanation for this.
Witchcraft.
A growl snakes its way up my throat, and Grayson lets out a curse behind me, kicking at a tree.
Guilt gnaws at me, sinking its spindly talons in deep, as I lower myself onto the ground. If I wouldn’t have taken off into the forest after Izzy discovered my secret…maybe she would still be here.
Maybe all of those shifters wouldn’t be dead.
There are no words capable of describing my panic when I witnessed the masked gunman shoot someone I knew in the forehead. All I could do was hide and pray that my family and friends were safe, knowing that any action on my end would lead to nothing but death. It was horrible.
Then I saw Izzy crawl her way towards the children, and my stomach dropped like a lead weight, sinking to my feet. I took off in a run as fast as I could towards her, but I was too late. By the time I arrived, the battle was over, Izzy was gone, and Grayson was lying unconscious on the ground.
The vampire whirls towards me abruptly, something akin to hope sparking in his eyes. “We need to get to my apartment.”
I cock my head to the side curiously.
“I have a necklace that matches the one Izzy wears,” Grayson says, his words rushing together. “At least, she should be wearing it. Hopefully.” He gives a rueful shake of his head before continuing. “It should track her.”
Grayson has a tracking device on her? I don’t know if that’s a blatant invasion of her privacy or the smartest idea I’ve ever heard, especially now, when it might save her life.
I perk up, and my tail begins to thump against the ground behind me.
“But you should probably shift back.” Grayson gives me an inscrutable once-over, his eyes lingering on the pink flesh of my back where my fur has been shaved off. “I don’t know if I can explain to the other tenants the appearance of…this. Hell, I don’t even know whatthisis, other than the most disgusting creature I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Rude.
With a roll of my eyes, I call on the magic inside of me, willing my body to change and distort, returning to that of a man.
But nothing happens.
What’s going on?I ask my wolf. A boulder wedges itself in my throat, and my breath abandons me.Why aren’t you allowing me to change back?
Something warm caresses me, and it takes me a second to realize it’s my wolf.
Comforting me.
But still not handing over the reins.
I know I’m not turning feral—I still have control of my mind and body, despite being in this form—but there’s something stopping me from transitioning back into a human.
What the fuck is happening to me?
My stomach attempts to displace my lungs. I whip my head from side to side, almost as if I can physically shake off my wolf’s hold on me.
Let me go!I growl.
My wolf whines.
Grayson eyes me strangely but doesn’t comment. He simply shifts his weight from one foot to the other.
“This is going to be a problem,” he murmurs, but I don’t know if he’s talking to me or himself. “You can’t shift back, can you?”
I despondently shake my head.
“Somehow, we need to let the shifters know that it’s not humans behind this attack but vampires.”
